A software architect at the Pune office of the Yahoo! India-owned firm Zimbra, Mansoor attended the six-day course on network security at Internet security solutions firm E2Labs in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. "It was a one-time crash course on network security, and Mansoor had already done some courses on the subject," said a spokesperson for E2Labs. The course included training in protection of information security, cyber law, phishing, hacking, identity theft and online fraud.

Among the others who attended the course was a computer crime investigator and forensic analyst with the Andhra Pradesh State Forensic Laboratory. Peerbhoy's online feedback, in bullet points, also said: “Very well designed course (obstacle race); very helpful people; very hands on.”

A senior officer of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch confirmed that this was being investigated.

Peerbhoy’s brother Adil, who works as an architect, told The Indian Express, “We came to know about the allegations against Mansoor only yesterday from the press. We have never heard of any Riyaz Bhatkal or the other names being mentioned. My family is going through a very tough time now. We want to verify details ourselves, only then will we be able to say anything."”

Colleagues at the eSpace IT Park office of Zimbra refused to speak about the man who Mumbai Police have said earned Rs 19 lakh a year, an official spokesperson for Yahoo! India said: “We are very concerned about these events and will fully cooperate with the law enforcement agencies, consistent with local laws.”

Zimbra, set up in California and taken over by Yahoo! India last year, offers the Zimbra Collaboration Suite software, a groupware product for messaging and collaboration, emailing, group calendars, web document management, etc. It also provides software to sync mobile devices.

The Mumbai Police have said Peerbhoy, an extraordinarily talented software developer and resident of Pune and belonging to a “highly educated family”, travelled several times to the United States on work.

Russian engineer Igor Sysoev, whose opensource software nginx is used by Zimbra, said in an emailed response to The Indian Express: "I know Mansoor as Zimbra developer because Zimbra software uses my opensource software nginx mail proxy server. However, I do not know him personally and until now I do not even know his religious commitment."